Monday, May 5, 2014

English 9--5/8/2014

Jump Off--For the first few minutes of class, get into pairs and go over the questions for "The Lottery." As you do so, consider the two categories on the board labeled "Umm......what?!" and "Literary elements/devices purposefully used" and attempt to come up with items to populate those categories on the front board. (For example, when going over #1, I might realize that the title of the story is ironic, which helps readers come to conclusions about traditions.)*WHEN TIME PERMITS DURING TODAY'S CLASS BLOCK, MR. MARTIN WILL MEET WITH STUDENTS ABOUT THE DRAGONSONG UNIT FINAL ESSAY*S. the C.--agenda/rationale/HW--sample Dragonsong Unit Final Essay read aloud from a past student--here are your options:

"The Hardest Decision" (97%)

"The Beat That Keeps Me Going" (97%)

"Don't Stop Believin'" (94%)

--go over the J.O. by discussing the questions, populating the categories on the front board, and making connections between "The Lottery" and DragonsongTransition--Pick up the "poem packet" from the front table within which you will find the following poems:

Maya Angelou's "Caged Bird"

Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy"

May Swenson's "Fable for When There's No Way Out"

Mary Oliver's "The Journey"

Then, dig through your binder and see if you can find the following items:

The document titled "Annotating Text--A Tried and True Method" (we first worked with this protocol in mid-October)

Your explicated copy of Margaret Atwood's "Siren Song"

Instruction -- Poetry Explication--May Swenson's "Fable for When There's No Way Out"
--review annotation method and explication via past work
--read "Fable for When There's No Way Out" aloud once to get the gist
--project text on the front board--share initial thoughts/understandings from gist reading and begin marking up the poem --read poem aloud a second time--explication modeling (emphasis on literal vs. figurative meaning and summarizing in the left margin)--independent explication:

Remember, too, that one of your purposes when reading additional unit material is taking notes and detail-hunting through the lens of your essay idea.

--share out

Transition
--Pick up the "'Fable for When There's No Way Out' Closure" sheet from the front table--this is today's exit ticket and needs to be completed quietly and independently before you leave.--Pick up the "Dragonsong Unit--Potential Questions/Prompts for Final Essay" page.

HW Time (Application)

HW
--Pick another poem from the poem packet. Explicate the poem, demonstrating your best skills.--Based on Mr. Martin's feedback, improve your thesis statement and write the updated version on your "Dragonsong Unit--Final Essay Outlining Notes and Template"--this will get you started on your essay! For some of you:--If you are still dissatisfied with your idea, consider looking through the "Dragonsong Unit--Potential Questions/Prompts for Final Essay" sheet and crafting a thesis statement related to one of the questions/prompts. Then, write the thesis statement on your "Dragonsong Unit--Final Essay Outlining Notes and Template".Reminders:
--We are scheduled for full blocks in the Computer Lab on the following days: Thursday, 5/29/2014 and Monday, 6/2/2014. Plan accordingly!
--Your Dragonsong Unit Final Essay is due at the end of the day on Monday, 6/2/2014.
--Over the course of the next few weeks, we will continue dealing with additional unit material (e.g., Mulan and The Tale of Despereaux) that can be used as the second work in your essay. One of your purposes when viewing will be taking notes and detail-hunting through the lens of your essay idea.--YOU MUST BRING YOUR DRAGONSONG BOOK TO CLASS EVERY DAY BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE DRAGONSONG UNIT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR BOOK, EXPECT CONSEQUENCES FOR LACK OF PREPARATION.--BRING YOUR VOCABULARY BOOK TO CLASS DAILY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED IT!